GREATER Manchester Police is appointing an anti-discrimination chief who could earn nearly £67,000 a year - more than a superintendent.
The recruit, expected to be a civilian, will lead a new team "dedicated to developing, promoting and advising on all diversity issues".
These include not only race but sexuality, gender, age and disability.
The chosen candidate will be paid between £60,648 and £66,714 a year, more than nearly all active senior officers.
A chief inspector is believed to earn roughly £45,000 and a superintendent - the rank in charge of divisions such as north and south Manchester - around £52,000.
The appointment, currently being advertised under the heading Diversity Director, will be one of the first of its kind in the country.
West Midlands Police, a similar-sized force, has a diversity unit made up mainly of active officers and with no full-time director.
Discrimination
London's Metropolitan Police has a diversity director, but the role has always been filled by a police officer rather than a civilian. It was recently advertised at a salary of £118,452.
GMP said the new post had been created as part of a reorganisation aimed at taking issues of discrimination more seriously.
In April a new unit was set up specifically to focus on diversity - a "critical area", according to Assistant Chief Constable Rob Taylor.
He said: "The director will be responsible for advising on all aspects of diversity. Initially the unit was under the direction of a chief superintendent but because the work is hugely specialised it has always been our intention to replace the police post.
"This is the going rate for a professional with the skills and knowledge we require.
"It is vital to reflect that this conurbation, with a population of 2.5m, is highly diverse, particularly with the issues highlighted by the recent bomb attacks. The new director will be vital in this regard."
GMP came under fire for the attitudes of a minority of its officers when the BBC broadcast an explosive documentary in 2003 showing racism among some recruits.
Since then, the new diversity unit has been training all staff in diversity issues including education about different cultures.
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Great.......B#67 000 - a bargain. What do you want GMP to do with the money......employ two extra Police Officers on B#23 000 each to go out tackling crime and making the city safer...or employ an yet another bureaucrat in the Headquarters to send out missives, memos and reports to drown those that try and do something with more work..
This bureaucrat will no doubt be able to produce loads of graphs and charts and reports to tell you how well the force is doing.....small comfort if your house has been broken into..
When will the Police go back to Policing rather than empire building these jobs and departments - losing themselves inwards with their own bureaucracy and "navel gazing" rather than getting more Officers out on the street to "fight crime and protect people".
It is plainly ridiculous to spend so much money on someone doing..in the end...an administrative support job...when the commander of a division gets less!
This is an abuse of taxpayers money